Soap making (from scratch)

I love creating, crafting and DIY projects, and for a long time I’ve been drawn to the idea of making more things from scratch. In theory, it sounds wonderfully simple and frugal. In practice… it involves a lot of research, precise calculations and temperature checking.

This soap-making experiment was definitely not a casual afternoon activity. I read a lot, double-checked measurements obsessively, hovered over thermometers like my life depended on it, and was mildly (okay, very) terrified the entire time, especially during the moment when caustic soda meets oil. That step alone deserves a pause, a deep breath, and possibly a life reassessment.

And yet, I loved the process. There was something deeply satisfying about following each step carefully and ending up with something that actually worked. The final result made all the nerves worthwhile, and it felt good knowing exactly what went into it.

I still love the idea of making everything from scratch — even if I’m slowly accepting that it might be more of an aspiration than a realistic lifestyle. But learning how things are made? That part, I’m very much here for.

To make this soap you will need:

• 610g olive oil
• 85g caustic soda (I bought mine in B&Q and I have seen some sold in Boots)
• 230ml water
• 2 tsp lemon balm or citronella essential oil
• zest of 3 oranges
• zest of 2 lemons

• Safety googles
• Rubber gloves
• Scales
• A stainless steel or enamel (not aluminium) pot
• A glass or plastic pitcher to hold the water and caustic soda
• A glass or plastic measuring jug
• Plastic or wooden spoons (that you are not going to use for food again)
• A stick blender/hand processor
• Two thermometers with the prong (I used one, but had the kitchen towel paper at hand to wipe after each use)
• Kitchen towel paper for clean ups

1. Prepare the workspace and gather all the ingredients ( you will be working with caustic soda, dangerous chemical, so make sure children and pets are not underfoot while you work). Make sure you have googles (I used my own spectacles which was safe enough) and rubber gloves at hand, because caustic should never touch your skin, as it would burn you (for more info read on how to work with caustic soda (sometimes called lye) safely.

2. Pour 230ml cold water (around 20C) into the pitcher. Measure 85g caustic soda and pour it into measuring jug. Add caustic soda into the water (not the other way round; don’t add water into the caustic soda) and as you doing that keep your face turned away to avoid inhaling the fumes. Set the mixture aside as it is cooling down and fumes dissipate.

3. Weigh out 610g of oil and pour it into pot. When Caustic soda water is around 45C start slowly heating the oil. When both oil and caustic soda are at the similar temperature (around 35C-39C), gradually pour caustic soda mixture into the oil while mixing (do not use metal spoon for this).

4. Use stick blender to mix the mixture for 5-10 min until “tracing” occurs (you should see the spoon leaving visible trace behind it, like in the pudding). If you don’t see any tracing, be patient and try again after 10-15min rest.

5. Add essential oil and orange/lemon zests in to the mixture, mix and then pour it into the moulds. I used silicon loaf baking tin, but if you are using regular baking tin do line it with baking paper as well. Be sure you are still wearing your rubber gloves at this stage, since raw soap is caustic and can burn skin.

6. Leave the soap in the tin/mould for 36hours before unmoulding.

7. To unmold the soap turn tin/mould over and allow it to fall on a towel or clean surface. Cut the soap into desired size pieces (I used cookie cutters to cut out these lovely heart shaped pieces).

8. Allow the soap to cure before packaging or before use for min of 3 weeks.

Rasa xo